The Fob Watch Imperative
by Nostalgic Wizard
Summary: The Doctor becomes human as he uses the fob watch to hide out from the Family once again. Things don't go as planned, though, as he becomes Death Eater Barty Crouch Junior. After discovering who he truly is, Barty must learn to accept his fate as a Time Lord.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: I know that I've written about the similarities between a certain Time Lord and a certain wizard before, but I just like to experiment on the different concepts in which they could be involved in. **_

_**Disclaimer: All characters and rights belong to J.K. Rowling and Doctor Who**_

* * *

><p>The two time travelers entered the TARDIS, laughing heartily with one another. They had been on another fantastic, exhilarating adventure together, in which they had met one of the most beloved story book characters in history. It had been a wonderful time for the two travelers, to say the least.<p>

"That Bilbo, always getting into trouble", the Doctor chuckled as he made his way up to the main console.

"How is it that he exists, though!? I mean...I thought that he was just a work of fiction!" Martha asked curiously.

"There's plenty out there in the world to see, Martha. Plenty of planets, stars...universes..." he added with a cheeky grin.

"You mean to tell me that we were just in an alternate universe?" his companion asked incredulously.

"Yeah...didn't mean to go there, though. It sort of just happened", the Doctor said.

"Bilbo didn't seem surprised to you", Martha commented.

"I've been to Tolkien's universe before...and I was late for tea with poor old Bilbo again. I helped him and the Dwarves on their journey, you know. Funny how much Radagast the Brown looked like my Seventh incarnation, though", the Time Lord added thoughtfully.

"Your 'Seventh incarnation'?" Martha inquired.

"But that's what you get by traveling to an alternate universe like that. May see more than one of your faces appear in there", the Doctor went on, ignoring his companion's inquiry.

"You mean, that somewhere out there, there's an alternate us?"

"Well...basically...yeah. But there's no telling what they could be like. It could be a nasty business to run into them. Luckily for us, though, I have a TARDIS, which can take us back to our own universe, safe and sound", the Doctor told her as he roamed around the console.

He began setting the coordinates back to the Earth of their universe, when the TARDIS suddenly began to shake. The Time Lord and his companion fell to the grating and they began to stumble about.

"What's happening!?" Martha asked frantically as she held on firmly to the railing.

The Doctor got up and stumbled over to the monitor, looking over it quickly. He furrowed his eyebrows as looked the screen over. His eyes widened.

"Oh no..."

"What? What's going on?" Martha asked, worried from the look on the Doctor's face.

"They've found me. I don't know how, but they've found me", he said.

"What do you mean? Who's found you?" Martha asked, looking over at him.

"Martha, do you trust me?"

"What-"

"Do you trust me?" the Doctor inquired as he staggered over to her, placing his hands on her shoulders.

"Yes, of course", Martha nodded her head.

"Good. Because I have to hide out as a human again."

"What?"

"The Family. They're back. I don't know how, but they're back", the Doctor said as he maneuvered his way around the console. "I have to hide out again for a few months."

"Doctor, are you sure about this? Remember what happened last time?" Martha reminded the Time Lord of the last time he had used the chameleon arch. He had become a human school teacher named John Smith to hide from the Family before. It wasn't the greatest of plans, for while the Doctor was trying to show the aliens mercy, John Smith had fallen in love with Joan Redfern. And, to end it all, his human self had to confront and accept his destiny as a Time Lord by killing himself off.

"Don't worry, nothing will go wrong this time. We won't be hiding out in 1913 like before", the Doctor assured her as he located the fob watch and pulled out the chameleon arch.

"Where will we be hiding, then?" Martha asked.

"The TARDIS will come up with something", the Doctor told her, placing the fob watch in the arch as the ship swayed about. "Remember the list I gave you last time, alright? Don't let me go off committing crimes. Don't let me fall in love again. And most important, don't let me eat pears."

There was a booming sound, and the TARDIS began to tremble greatly. The two time travelers steadied themselves as the grating underneath them shook violently.

"See you later, Martha."

With that, the Time Lord put on the chameleon arch. He began to convulse and shout at the top of his lungs as he was struck with excruciating pain; every single cell in his body changing and rearranging themselves. And everything suddenly went black...

* * *

><p>Barty Crouch Junior groaned as he awoke. Whether it was from spending time in Azkaban or from being placed under the Imperius Curse for the past twelve years, he had had the oddest dream. This dream being like all the others he had had in previous years before.<p>

Each dream dealt with him being a two-hearted alien called 'the Doctor'. He was from a planet called 'Gallifrey' and was from a race that called themselves 'Time Lords'. As 'the Doctor', he had taken on many friends and companions and also went through many faces. Many faces of himself. These dreams had been more and more lucid in recent years. It was almost as if these dreams were realistic, and were trying to tell him something.

He shook the thought out of his mind, for he found it to be ludicrous. He believed there to be no such things as aliens. Besides, he had more pressing matters to attend to.

He got out of bed and changed into his clothes, ready to put the plan into action. Ready to prepare for the resurrection of his master.

Once he pocketed his wand, he disapparated with a pop. In less than a few seconds, he had arrived at the Auror's house in the early dark of morning. He went over to a familiar looking rat resting in the grass and pointed his wand at it.

"_Rennervate."_

The rat gave out a high-pitched squeal and suddenly transformed into a short, pudgy man with balding hair. The man didn't seem satisfied as he rubbed his sore neck from the sudden shock.

"You didn't have to do that you know", he whined to Barty.

"Quit whining, Wormtail. You aren't supposed to be asleep. We have a task at hand, remember?" Barty told him, slightly amused at the rat's reaction.

"Alright, then. Let's get going", Wormtail said as he began to walk around to the back of the house.

Just before he made way to follow Wormtail, Barty stood frozen in his footsteps. He looked out over the street before him and saw a young lady standing on the opposite side, staring at him. She seemed to be happy, yet, at the same time, disappointed. Barty was captivated by her sudden appearance. It seemed almost as if he knew this young lady. He concentrated on the lady, studying her. He recognized the familiar face. His eyes flickered for a moment as he stared out over her, remembering her from his dream.

"Martha?" he said quietly to himself.

Martha continued to stare at him, now grinning. Her eyes beginning to glaze over.

"Barty!"

Barty's eyes flickered back. He was broken out of his reverie as he looked over his shoulder.

"What are you doing over there? We have a task at hand, remember?" Wormtail hissed at him, slightly mocking his previous words.

Barty looked back out at the street before him and saw that the young lady had left. He stared around at the street for a few more seconds before turning around and following Wormtail out back.

"I'm coming! I'm coming! And be quiet, will you!? You might wake up the neighbors!" Barty hissed back as he tailed his fellow Death Eater.

On the other side of the street, the young lady had reappeared and had a melancholy look about her face.

"Oh, Doctor. What have you gotten yourself into now?"

Martha sighed as she watched her now human friend run off as a Death Eater.


	2. Chapter 2

Time had waned on. Many months had passed since he had infiltrated Hogwarts as the Auror Mad-Eye Moody. That time of hiding out, though, had been anything but great for Barty. Sure he was doing a relatively good job of impersonating Moody, but he had to get every single aspect the Auror correct in order to not get caught. He had to question the stunned Auror every now and then, and, worst of all, had to drink a dose of Polyjuice Potion every hour during his hiding. None of this, though, beat the recent dreams he was having.

His dreams of the fictional Time Lord, the Doctor, and his many companions, now seemed like memories to him. Almost as if he had experienced every single one of the alien's adventures. Every triumph, heartbreak, and loss now seemed clearer than ever.

His worst dream had come the night right before the Third Task of the Triwizard Tournament. He had dreamt about the Time Lord's home planet of Gallifrey burning under the constraints of war and turmoil. Many people and children dying and burning along with it. He, as the Doctor, had to destroy his own planet in order to save the universe from the Time war.

Barty had awoken from that nightmare drenched with cold sweat, furious with himself for believing such a thing to be real. Then he reminded himself of that day many months ago, when him and Wormtail had kidnapped Moody. He remembered seeing the face of one of the many companions in his dreams on the opposite side of the street before him. He remembered her face and had said her name. _Martha._

_'Don't be foolish. None of that was real. My mind was probably playing tricks on me that day' _he thought, shaking his head to dispel the memory from his mind.

* * *

><p>Later that night, it was time for the final task of the tournament. Disguised as the Auror, Barty had placed the Triwizard Cup in the middle of the maze and turned it into a portkey. The plan was prepared for, and all led up to this. His master would be resurrected and Potter would be done with once and for all.<p>

That was easier said than done, though.

Potter had returned alive, clutching the dead body of Cedric Diggory. As everyone had been preoccupied with the situation at hand, Barty had led Harry up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts office. He was caught and found, though, and had received the Dementor's Kiss under the order by the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge. Or, at least, that was what everyone thought.

As soon as everyone had left the room, Barty got up from his feinting position, and went over to the trunk. He grabbed his invisibility cloak and put it on. He then walked out of the castle undetected, making his way to Hogsmeade. From there, he could apparate back to his master. It was a simple plan.

He soon entered the wizarding village. As he passed by the Three Broomsticks and Honeydukes, Barty suddenly stopped in his footsteps. He looked at the alleyway between the two shops and could just see someone standing there, their eyes staring right through him. Barty stood still for a few minutes, studying the person's face. It was a young boy in his late teens, who had a maniacal grin about him. Suddenly, Barty was caught off guard as the the boy came running at him, sending him to the ground and tearing the invisibility cloak off of him.

"Hello there", the boy greeted, pinning Barty down.

"Get off me!" Barty yelled, struggling to break free of the boy's surprisingly strong grip on him.

"Now, now. That isn't a way to greet an old friend, now is it..._Doctor?"_

Barty's eyes widened at the boy's words. How could he have known about the man from his dreams?

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he shouted.

"Of course you don't. Turned yourself human again, have you? If only the rest of the Family could see this. It would be highly amusing."

"Barty!"

Barty turned his head around, and was astounded as he saw a familiar young lady run over to him. The boy pinning him down turned around as well, and, as he was distracted, Barty took out his wand and stunned him. The boy fell back, unconscious, and Barty got up quickly, snatching his invisibility cloak back up, and ran as fast as he could away from both the boy and the lady.

"Barty! Wait!"

Barty ignored the woman's calls to him, simply because he didn't want to believe it. He didn't want to find out if it was real or not. All he wanted to do was to escape back to his master, unnoticed by the both of them.

As he made his way down the lane towards the wild countryside around Hogsmeade, Barty prepared to disapparate. He didn't hesitate as he twisted around, disappearing with a pop. As he was traveling from one place to the next, Barty felt a weight pulling him down, yet he didn't stop as he changed his course, arriving at a forest.

He quickly got up and began to back away as he saw the familiar face before him. He pulled out his wand and pointed it out in defense.

"What do you want?" he said, barely hiding the quiver in his voice.

"I've been looking for you for a while. It's been nearly thirty years for you after all", the lady now stood up, looking directly in Barty's eyes.

"What do you mean? What do you want?" Barty asked, backing up a bit more slowly.

"Aren't you going to ask who I am first?"

"I know who you are. You're Martha...Martha Jones...and I don't even know if it can be you or not", Barty said, "It can't be real...you can't be real."

"Barty, calm down. I can explain everything to you...if you'll allow me to", Martha told him.

Barty studied her closely before nodding his head slowly, still keeping his wand held aloft. Then, unexpectedly, he began to sprint off. He put the invisibility cloak over his head, in order to cover himself up, along the way.

He never looked back as he heard Martha call out to him, for he didn't want to believe in her.

She was just a figment of imagination to him.

All of this was.


	3. Chapter 3

He had to escape her. He didn't know why, but he just had to. He didn't want to admit it, but he was actually afraid. He felt a huge foreboding if he discovered that all of this was actually real. But it couldn't be. It couldn't.

After running for a while, non-stop, Barty went over to a nearby tree and put his back to it. He panted, catching his breath, and took off the invisibility cloak as he slid down to rest near the foot of the tree. His mind and heart were both racing a mile a minute. Nothing had made sense to him after the Third Task. Why was that boy after him? How was it that Martha existed? And what had she meant by, 'it had been thirty years for him'? What happened thirty years ago that he didn't know of?

Barty rubbed his temples, a headache beginning to form. '_Don't worry about any of it. You've probably just had a long night and just need some rest', _he tried to convince himself in order to ease the pain in his head.

After a few minutes, he stood back up, preparing to apparate back to Voldemort at the Riddle House. Just as he was about to leave, though, he saw a faint green glow coming from a short distance up ahead. Curiosity getting the better of him, Barty decided to check out just what that green glow was. He walked quietly, and, as he delved deeper within the forest, he discovered that the green glow was coming from within the lake.

"_Lumos", _he incantated, lighting up the tip of his wand. Barty held his wand out in front of him, checking if there was anyone nearby. When he concluded that there was noone there, Barty bent down towards the edge of the lake, cautiously holding his wand out over it. He leaned in a bit more to catch a glimpse of the object emitting the glow. As he did so, Barty was caught off guard as a hand grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him into the murky water below.

Immediately, Barty began to struggle as he felt an arm wrap around his neck. Turning his head around, he was shocked to find the boy from before being the one who was restraining him. The boy had the same maniacal grin about his face as he held him back. Barty, just being able to hold onto his wand, directed it at the boy, sending a jet of red at him. The boy had dodged it, but the distraction had been enough to loosen his grip on Barty, who quickly swam to the surface to catch his breath. He gasped out spluttering, but not for long, as the boy came to the surface as well.

"You're not getting away that easily, Doctor", he said, grabbing a hold of Barty again, "Now, give me your essence."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Barty shouted. "Let go of me!"

"Wrong answer."

The boy plunged Barty back into the water, tightening his grip on him. Barty struggled and writhed as he fought to break free from the hold on him. He flailed and kicked the boy a few times, in an attempt to loosen his grip. The boy swung a punch at him, dazing him for a bit, but no sooner had he regained his composure, Barty began to struggle again. He was beginning to run out of air now, and fast. He had to break out of the crazed boy's grasp and get away somehow. Barty sent a well-aimed elbow hit to the boy, which threw him off for a bit, then shot a spell at him, stunning him. Then, just as he was on his last few breaths, Barty pointed his wand up to the surface of the lake, and incantated, "_Ascendio"._

He shot up in an instant and landed on the ground near the trees, just a distance away from the lake. He laid flat on his back, then turned to his side, coughing and spluttering up water. He panted for breath, and turned around on his back again. He closed his eyes, and, as he did so, he felt a hand softly touch his cheek. He didn't open his eyes as he addressed the person tending to him.

"Are you after me too, Martha?" he asked with a raspy voice.

"No. I'm here to help you", she answered, now placing a hand on his chest, feeling his single heart beat.

"Good. Because I want answers. Now", Barty sighed, as he reluctantly opened his eyes to see her.

* * *

><p>Martha and Barty walked away from as far as the lake as possible. As they delved deeper within the forest, they came upon a small enclosure surrounded by trees. Though he was in a weak state, Barty insisted upon casting protective enchantments around their spot in order to seal themselves off from any unwanted visitors, paranoid from his recent attack. He walked around the enclosure, muttering incoherent spells, as invisible barriers formed around them.<p>

When he was finished, Martha came up to him and handed him a set of clean clothes that she had taken out of her bag. "Here. You might want to change."

Barty looked over the clothes and raised an eyebrow. "You expect me to wear this?"

"It's just a suit and trench coat, and it's all I have for you. Unless you want to stay and catch cold in Mad-Eye's old clothes", Martha told him.

Barty sighed. "Fine, but don't look." He went behind a tree and began to change into the clothes that Martha had given him.

"So...where are we anyway?" Martha asked.

"The Forest of Dean."

"Why this place?"

"I don't know. I just remembered it and thought it a safe place to be. It looks like I was wrong, though." Barty said as he wore his shirt and came out from behind the tree. As he put on the suit jacket, he said, "Which brings us to the next question. Who is that boy, and why is he after me?"

"He's not a boy...well, not anymore. He's been possessed by alien creature. That alien is part of a group called 'the Family.' He was captured before, but must've escaped somehow. Why he's after you, though, is complicated to say the least", Martha said as she watched him put on the trench coat.

"Why is he after me, though?" Barty repeated his question.

Martha sighed, thinking of a way to explain the whole ordeal to Barty. "Alright. First off, you've been having dreams about a man called the Doctor, correct?"

"Yes. And you were there. And so were many others. But he's not real. He's just a figment of my imagination", Barty waved off.

"Then what does that make me? I'm here, in the flesh, talking to you right now. I was a part of your dreams, too. Remember?"

"Yeah, but who says that this is even real right now? You might be a figment of my imagination I've conjured up just now to have a talk with someone that I can trust", Barty scoffed.

Martha rolled her eyes and went up to Barty. Knowing that he wasn't paying any attention at all, she slapped him right across the face, earning a yell from him.

"Ow! What was that for!?" he asked, rubbing his sore cheek.

"Do you believe that I'm real now?" Martha inquired. Barty glared at her and nodded his head in frustration of the slap as she went on, "Now...your dreams...they're real. All of them."

"They can't be."

"Why not?"

"Because if they are real, then that would make me the Doctor."

"That's just it, though. You are the Doctor."

Barty laughed incredulously. "If I'm the Doctor, then I would have two hearts."

"That's where this all began, though. You became human to hide out from the Family again", Martha told him.

"And, this 'Family', what exactly did they want with me?" Barty asked, crossing his arms.

"They wanted the Doctor's Time Lord essence. The Family, they're like mayflies. They die out just after a couple of months. They needed the Doctor's essence in order to live longer", Martha explained.

"That's just it, though", Barty said, now walking around the enclosure, "they can only live for a couple months. I've lived longer than that-a little over thirty years I might add. Therefore, I can not be the Doctor."

"But that's where the plan went wrong. You see, you were only supposed to hide out as a human for a few months. The chameleon arch must have malfuntioned somehow and caused you to live an entire human life so far. The son of the Family must have tracked you down to this point in your human life and found you in what might have been only a month or two from his perspective", Martha explained.

"Like I would believe that?" Barty sneered. "None of this is true. You may be real, but that still doesn't mean that the Doctor is."

"I knew you would say that, so I brought you this", Martha said as she pulled an object out of her bag. "Know what this is?" she asked as she handed the object to Barty. He looked it over, and his eyes widened a bit. He had seen this before. It was the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, and it was just as he remembered it to be. He pressed the button on the side of it, and the tip began to glow blue, emitting a strange whirring sound. He let go of the button and stared at Martha.

"Where'd you get this from?" he asked.

"I told you, it's yours. Besides that, you're wearing his clothes", Martha told him.

"No...no. It...it can't be. I mean...I can't be him", Barty stated defiantly. "I'm not the Doctor."

"Not yet you are", Martha said. "Do you have a watch?"

"A watch?"

"Yes, a fob watch."

"What does-"

"The fob watch contains the Doctor's Time Lord essence. If you have it, then all you have to do is open it and you'll become the Doctor again", Martha explained.

Barty stared at her incredulously, then told her, "I don't have a fob watch." Martha was extremely distraught, and looked down at his words. All hope was shattered until Barty mumbled, "Anymore."

Martha's head quickly shot up and she repeated, "Anymore?"

"I remember having one in my youth. I was very fond of it for some reason, though it didn't even work. I last recall having it on me the day that I was caught and sent to Azkaban."

"So...where would it be now?" Martha asked. There was just a slither of hope left.

"I can't remember much, but my father must have taken it. He might have had it in the house while I was under the Imperius Curse for twelve years", Barty said, then turned to Martha and shook his head, adding, "But that doesn't mean anything. Anyone could have had a fob watch like I did."

"It couldn't hurt to try, though", Martha said, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Barty, I know that deep down, even though you try to deny it, that you believe in the Doctor. Wouldn't you want to at least try and find the watch?"

Barty sighed and ran a hand through his hair back and forth as he thought it over. He did believe in the Doctor, and even if he felt all this to be ridiculous, it couldn't hurt to try and find out if it was real or not. Could it? '_Who knows...maybe I might just be the Time Lord himself', _he thought humourously.


	4. Chapter 4

Barty held out his hand, and Martha took hold of it. After a few moments of convincing, Barty had complied in apparating to his old house in search of the fob watch. Martha held on tightly, as Barty twisted around and apparated. In a little more than a few seconds, they had arrived at the house. Martha's legs gave way from the sensation felt from the apparation and she fell down. As she got up and dusted herself off, Martha looked around and noticed that they were out in the country. The house, or manor as it should be called, stood alone on a flat, grassy plain, with large gates barring the front.

Martha looked over to Barty and saw that he was near the gate. Quiet, unmoving.

"You alright?" she asked as she went up to him.

Barty continued to stare out front, lost in thought. His eyes flickered for a moment before he turned to her. "What? Oh...yeah. Yeah, everything's fine."

He took out the sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the gate. It unlocked with a clang, and he pushed it open.

"Don't think this changes anything", he told Martha as he went up to the front door of the house to unlock it as well. "I'm still not convinced, you know", he added as he pushed open the door and tucked the sonic screwdriver back inside his trench coat pocket.

Martha just rolled her eyes and entered through the door as Barty held it open for her. When she went in, she observed the interior of the manor. The floor was covered with a thin layer of dust and there were a few cobwebs around the walls here and there. It seemed that a few months of vacancy hadn't left much of a change, other than that it was a bit filthier than it should have been.

Barty stood next to her, and scowled a bit, looking around as well. He hadn't been in the manor for more than a few months, and coming back had given him a slew of bad memories. After all, the last time he had been here, he had been a prisoner within its walls.

"Alright then. I'll check down here and you can check upstairs, alright?"

He didn't wait for answer as he walked away down the hall. Left alone, Martha decided to go ahead and check the upper floor for any signs of the fob watch; the only thing to get the Doctor back. As she walked up the stairs, she thought about the whole ordeal she was in and how it still baffled her. Little did she know that when the Doctor would become human, he would become a character from the Harry Potter universe. It would've been amazing if he was anyone else like Remus Lupin, Sirius Black, or even just a random bystander, but he wasn't. The Doctor had become a Death Eater. And he wasn't just any Death Eater, for he was the one who had had a hand in resurrecting Lord Voldemort.

As Martha entered in the first room, all she could think about was how she couldn't wait until the Time Lord would come back again. The thought stuck to her like glue, for all she wanted was the Doctor. The exact same thoughts she had had when her friend had become John Smith, which, surprisingly, was the one thing that the Doctor had foreseen correctly from this. This situation was most definitely different than the John Smith one, for, instead dealing with a human Doctor falling in love, she was now dealing with a human Doctor who was a Death Eater.

'_At least Barty is easier to talk through than John was', _she thought reassuringly.

With these thoughts in mind, she began to look around the room. It was covered with dust and was littered with a mess of various magical artifacts. Martha checked the dust ridden floor and underneath the bed for any sign of the watch, with no avail. She then, went over to the drawers and began to search through them. They had been empty with a few quills and pieces of parchment here and there. As she opened up the last drawer on the bottom, she discovered a familiar-looking journal. She took it out and looked it over, knowing where she had seen this before. She flipped through a few pages, and her assumptions had proven correct. In the journal, there had been many stories and drawings about a two-hearted alien from the planet Gallifrey. Many of the Doctor's faces had been drawn and labeled, as well a few of the planets and galaxies he had visited.

Martha was too preoccupied with the journal, that she was caught off-guard as she heard a cough behind her.

"Enjoying that?"

Martha turned around and jumped to her feet as she saw Barty standing behind her; arms crossed, glaring.

"Barty...I'm sorry...I didn't know..." she began as he snatched the journal out of her hands.

"This, is private", he stated simply as he tossed the journal back into the drawer and closed it shut.

"So, this is your room, then?" Martha asked, trying to diffuse the tension a bit.

Barty nodded his head. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't go looking for anything else besides the watch."

"You couldn't find it?"

"No. Besides, it's late, and I've had a really long, confusing day. I was thinking that we could spend the remainder of the night here and start searching again tomorrow morning when there's more light and when we're fully rested", Barty suggested.

"That sounds like a good idea", Martha said.

"Come. I'll show you to a room", Barty said, holding the door open for her.

Martha exited the room, and she followed Barty as he led her a few doors down the hall. He unlocked the door and held it open for Martha. When she entered, Martha noticed that the room was covered in dust just as everything else was, but it seemed to be much grander than Barty's room. While his was much messier and littered with many magical items, this one was much cleaner and well-organized. It was also slightly bigger with a large king-sized bed in the center of it.

As Martha went over to the bed to lay on it, Barty just stood under the doorway, looking around the room.

"This was my parents' room", he told Martha. "Though, father didn't really sleep here much. He was far too busy at the Ministry to trouble with any rest. In fact, he was far too busy at the Ministry to even trouble with me."

"You're father didn't spend any time with you at all?" Martha asked curiously.

Barty shook his head. "And he never was proud of me. Not when I got my letter to Hogwarts, not when I got sorted...not even when I got a 12 on my O.W.L.S. Thought that I could much better than just that."

"That's terrible. You father never even cared for you?"

"How could he when he was too preoccupied with becoming Minister of Magic?" Barty said, then he smirked a bit. "I've never felt more accomplished than when I ruined that chance for him."

"When you were sent to Azkaban?" Martha inquired.

Barty nodded his head. "And without any evidence against me, I might add. Thought that he could make an example out of me by throwing his own son to the Dementors. He never was my true father if you ask me."

Martha looked away, knowing that what he said had been true-very literal to say the least. For he wasn't actually Bartemius Crouch's son, but a now human Time Lord that somehow got roped up with them. A doing by the TARDIS no doubt.

She looked back up at Barty who was staring down at the floor, lost in thought. After a few moments, he looked back up and said, "Sorry about that. That was just some ramblings that I had to get out that you probably didn't need to hear about. I'll just leave you alone now. Night."

Barty exited the room and closed the door shut. As he walked back to his room, he thought over what he had lat said to Martha. '_He never was my father if you ask me.'_

When he entered his room, Barty closed the door shut and went over to the drawer on his left. He opened the bottommost one, and took out the journal from it. He had used this journal to record his thoughts about the fictional Time Lord he had dreamt about when he was a child. He now looked through it, skimming through each page he flipped through. As he came across the one informing him of every face the Doctor has had, he read through it vigorously.

Going by his dreams the Doctor had had about ten faces, including one hidden one. He looked at each and every one of them, starting from the first to the last, and furrowed his eyebrows.

"This can't be right...there should be eleven faces here, including the warrior. His faces can't stop at big ears...there's one missing..." he muttered. He looked up at the mirror hanging above the dresser and stared at his reflection. He immediately shook his head as he did so, finding the prospect of him being the missing face highly unlikely.

He continued to look through the journal, and, as he flipped past the notable adventures of the Doctors shown, Barty had found something interesting. He was captivated by it and his eyes widened as he saw it. '_It couldn't be...could it?'_

"The watch", he said in a voice little more than a whisper, then read aloud the description of it, "The fob watch is known to sometimes contain the essence of a Time Lord."

He ran a hand through his hair in stress as he took in the words. '_The essence of a Time Lord. That's what Martha said. But it can't be...it's impossible. I couldn't be him...could I?' _

Barty looked back up at the mirror and stared at his reflection again. He looked into his own eyes for a few moments and they flickered a bit. What before had been young and lively, now seemed ancient and tired. He placed a hand on his chest and gasped as he felt the beating of his one, singular heart.

He went over to his bed and, as he laid down on it, he continued to read through the journal for any signs, any hints, that could disprove, or even conclude, his foreboding thoughts in that he was the Doctor.


	5. Chapter 5

As soon as sunlight had poured into the room, Martha got out of bed. She couldn't really sleep that well last night, what with an important task at hand and an unbelievable ordeal she was currently in.

She exited her room and made her way down the hall. She stopped in front of the door to Barty's room, and hesitated before she knocked. There was no answer, but the door was open just a crack. She peeked in and saw that he was still asleep. She smiled a bit when she saw that he had the journal clutched in his hand, still opened to the page that he had been reading through the night before.

As she made way to leave, Martha was startled as she saw Barty sit up, looking straight at her.

"Couldn't sleep either?" he asked.

Martha shook her head, then asked. "You didn't sleep at all?"

"No. How could I when..." he stopped himself at what he was about to say. He didn't want her to know that he believed the Doctor and the whole fob watch story to be somewhat true. He also didn't want her to know that he stayed up all night discovering the correlations between her claim of him being the Doctor and his dreams.

"When what?" Martha inquired curiously.

"When...I remembered that I'm in a house filled with bad memories", Barty said, as he placed the journal behind his back, hoping that Martha hadn't seen it. After all, what he said wasn't entirely a lie. "So, do you want to start looking for that watch now?" he added, trying to change the subject.

"Okay then", Martha said as she watched Barty get up, beginning to look around.

"So...why is this watch important again? I mean, what will it do exactly when I get a hold of it?" Barty asked as he went over to a shelf, looking behind some books.

"Well, the watch contains the Doctor's Time Lord essence. Once you find it, all you need to do is open it and the Doctor is back", Martha explained.

Barty nodded his head. "Then, what will happen to me? Will I still be there, or what?" He turned to face her, raising a questionable eyebrow.

"Well, you will still be there...in the Doctor's head and a part of his memories-"

"So, I'm basically gone?"

"No, it's not like that-"

"You don't have to lie to me. I know how these type of things work. I'm going to die, right?" It wasn't a question.

"I'm sorry, but I thought that if you knew, then you wouldn't-"

"It's alright. It doesn't matter", Barty waved off as he walked over to the other side of the room, searching through another shelf filled with magical artifacts.

"You don't care? Not even a bit? I mean, you're basically giving up your life", Martha inquired.

"Why would I care when my entire life has been a disappointment? If you ask me, it's about time it ended", he told her. Then he muttered, "I should've let that Dementor Kiss me when I had the chance."

Martha went over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Barty, don't say that. You're a great man-"

"Really? A 'great man'? Tell me, Martha...would a 'great man' torture countless, innocent people? Would a 'great man' kill his own father? Would 'he' even attempt to murder Harry Potter? No...he wouldn't. Admit it...you want me gone as fast as possible, don't you, Martha Jones?" Barty ranted on, looking her in the eyes.

Martha stared back into his melting brown eyes, and saw a flicker of fear run right through them, almost as if he really didn't want to go. "Yes, I do want the Doctor back...but I don't want you to go either."

"Please, don't lie-"

"I'm not lying. I'm telling you the truth", Martha told him. "I've seen you these past few months, and I can assure you that I see a different man now than I did then. You've changed quite a bit, Barty, and in a good way."

"Really? How?" Barty asked crossing his arms, quirking an eyebrow.

"Before, you were a rude, pompous, egotistical, close-minded, git", Martha said, grinning a bit as she saw the disapproving, slightly offended frown on Barty's face. "But now, you're a rude, arrogant, open-minded, git."

"Not giving me much leeway on being a git, are you?" Barty asked, smirking a bit.

"How could I? That's one thing that hasn't changed about you, that's for sure", Martha said, smiling at him as she opened up a few drawers, beginning to aid him in the search.

"Glad to see that one thing hasn't changed about me after all", Barty grinned as he went over to the bed, bending down to look underneath it. After a few minutes, he lifted his head up and smacked the heel of his palm on his forehead. "Oh...how stupid I can be sometimes!"

"What is it?" Martha asked, coming next to him.

"I could've just summoned the watch the whole time!" Barty told her, now standing up and pulling out his wand. "_Accio fob watch!"_

They stood there for a few moments, waiting. Just as Martha was about to comment on how it didn't work, Barty held up a hand in the air. In a little less than a few seconds, the watch had come soaring into his palm.

"You found it!" Martha exclaimed, as Barty held the watch in the palms of his hands, entranced by it. He felt a sudden warmth surge through him, then looked up at Martha, his eyes flickering, now seeming more ancient than before.

"Oh, that was brilliant! Fantastic! _Molto Bene!" _

Martha looked up at Barty, being just as surprised by the change of tone in his voice than he was. Barty, taken aback by the sudden change in his voice, took a deep, shuddering breath, and his eyes flickered again, becoming young and lively once more.

"That...that's how he talks? That's him...isn't it?" he asked, his voice cracking a bit.

"Yes, it's the Doctor. And all you have to do to get him back is to-" Martha began, but stopped abruptly as Barty held up a hand to silence her, staring at a corner near the door. Clueless about what was going on, Martha looked over to where Barty was staring at and became confused.

"Barty, you don't have to worry. It's just a rat", she told him.

Barty ignored her as he tucked the fob watch into his pocket and pulled out his wand. He quietly walked forward, aiming his wand at the rat, attempting to snare it. Once the rat noticed him, it gave out a terrified squeal and began to scurry off.

"Don't let him get away!" Barty yelled over to Martha as he sent at few spells at the rodent. One of the spells caught the rat, slowing it down. As it did so, Barty hastily went over to it and picked it up. The rodent squirmed around in his hand as he held tightly on to it.

"What's going on?" Martha asked, extremely confused at Barty's behavior. "It's just a rat."

"He's not just any old rat. He's been listening in on us", Barty said, glaring at the rodent in his hand. He pointed his wand once more at it, and it stopped squirming around. Barty placed the rodent back on the floor and sent another spell at it. Quickly, before their eyes, the rat transformed into a fat man with a balding head.

Martha gasped. "I know who that is."

Barty nodded his head towards Martha as he pulled up the wheezing man off the floor and shoved him against the wall.

"How much did you hear, Wormtail!?" Barty shouted, pointing his wand at him.

Wormtail looked up at him, and a sick, twisted smirk grew upon his teary-eyed face. He stayed silent, unanswering.

"How much did you hear!?" Barty asked again, impatient with his fellow Death Eater's game.

"Enough to please my master", Wormtail answered.

"Why are you here? What purpose do you have to sneak around my home?" Barty questioned.

"My master has sent me here to investigate if what he said was true, and it is", Wormtail said.

"Investigate what? Who's he?"

"A new ally. He's informed my master of your treachery, and my master has sent me down to see if it was true...and it is. You've been keeping secrets from your fellow Death Eaters, Bartemius."

"How dare you use my name in that manner! Just how much of these secrets did you hear and what is this 'new ally's' name!? What is his purpose!?" Barty said, his voice raising a bit.

"I've heard enough to know that what he said is true", Wormtail took a look at the chain of the fob watch just hanging off of Barty's pocket, and a sickened smirk grew upon his face. "What need do you have of this watch, Bartemius?"

Barty looked down into his pocket and then back up at Wormtail. He saw the rat's beady eyes boring upon it, and he waved his hand over it, tucking it further into his pocket, hiding it from view. "You know about the watch?" he asked acidly.

"Yes, and all that it contains. My master shall be pleased in hearing it all to be true. And our new ally shall be pleased in hearing that he is now allowed to dispose of you himself", Wormtail dared to sneer at him.

Barty stared coldly into his eyes before throwing the filthy rat to the ground. "Go! Tell Lord Voldemort about it all! And tell this new ally that he can try and find me, because I'll be running! After all, I've been doing it for over nine hundred years!"

Wormtail curled his lips into a smirk before he transformed back into a rat and scurried off, out of the room.

Barty glared at the rat as it ran off, and he kicked the wall out of anger. He went across the room and pounded his hand upon the wall. He took a few deep breaths, before turning to Martha, malice in his eyes.

"You knew this, didn't you?" he asked.

"No! I didn't know a thing about this!" Martha stated defiantly.

"Don't lie! You've been wanting me to turn traitor to Voldemort all along, haven't you? You've been wanting me to believe in this ridiculous fantasy just so I could betray my master!" Barty raved on.

"Barty, stop it! Listen to yourself talk! You're not making sense!" Martha shouted, astounded by his sudden change in demeanor.

"No...you're not making any sense! This had been a trap all along, hasn't it? You aren't even real, are you? Are you even who you say to be?"

"Barty, listen to me-"

"No! You've been lying to me this whole time! I don't believe you...I won't..."

"_Doctor_! Will you just listen to me!"

Barty immediately stopped his nonsensical ramblings at those words. He unknowingly put his hand into his coat pocket and touched the fob watch. A flurry of images soon came to his mind, and he saw everything that the Doctor had seen. He looked up at Martha, who saw a look of fear come over his eyes.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I didn't know what came over me a moment ago", Barty said, taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor. He looked at the fob watch in his pocket and pulled it out. He quickly tossed it over to Martha, who caught it, aghast. "Take it. Hold on to it. Keep it. Let someone who can be trusted have it."

"What are you talking about? What are you doing?" Martha asked as Barty took a hold of her hand.

"They're after me. They know where I am. Wormtail has probably already told them by now. I'm going to apparate and drop you off somewhere safe", he told her.

"What do you mean? Aren't you coming with me?"

"I have to go alone. That kid is most likely their new ally and he'll be out to kill. Both he and Voldemort want the watch, and they won't suspect you to have it. Hold on to it, and keep it safe. Don't give it to me until the proper moment, alright?" Barty explained to her.

"How will I know when it's the proper moment? What are you going to do?" Martha asked, completely lost at what was going on.

"You'll know it when it comes. You've been with me this whole time, and I've trusted you this whole time. Now, you need to trust me, okay? Do you trust me?" Barty asked looking her in the eyes.

Martha stared back into his eyes, and was reminded of the Doctor for a moment. She nodded her head, and, once she did, Barty twisted his arm and disapparated with a pop.


	6. Chapter 6

As they apparated through the air, Martha suddenly fell and found herself in a suburban alleyway. She got up, and, as she did so, she unclasped her hands. The fob watch was still there. Safe and sound.

She turned to look behind her, and when she noticed that Barty wasn't with her, she sighed. It had taken her years to track him down and now he had left her without telling her where he would be. The only reason she had been able to track him down in the first place was with help from the TARDIS. She sighed once more as she discovered, to her disappointment, that she was without that as well.

As she looked down at the fob watch in her hands again, Martha could almost hear the Doctor calling to her, wanting to come back. It couldn't have been easy for him, being trapped inside a watch for over thirty years without any acknowledgement of his existence until now. How she wanted the Doctor back was more important than anything in the world to her right now.

Martha finally looked up, and saw that there was no reason to mope about. The Doctor would be back soon enough. She knew it. Then again, she was taking the word of Barty Crouch Junior, which wasn't going by much. Sure he was a lying and conniving fiend, but when she had seen him, he had a sort of glimmer in his eyes that somehow had shown the Doctor to truly be inside him. She laughed a bit at the irony. How the Doctor could see himself now as Barty Crouch Junior, the Death Eater that had helped Voldemort rise to power once again.

She looked down at the fob watch once more, and said, "Don't worry, Doctor. This will all be over soon."

Though she didn't know when 'soon' was, Martha pocketed the fob watch, keeping it out of sight, and stepped out of the darkened alleyway, hoping to get a sense of where she was.

* * *

><p>As he landed, Barty immediately got up. He stood in front of an old and deteriorated manor covered with grassy undergrowth. Though it may have seemed deserted at first glance, Barty knew otherwise, having been here a few months prior. He gave a twisted smile as looked over the manor.<p>

He couldn't believe how easy it had been to trick Martha like that. She actually believed that he, the same Death Eater who had resurrected Lord Voldemort, would fulfill his promise in bringing the Doctor back. _'Like that's ever going to happen. I'm not going to die off like John Smith did. I smarter and more powerful than he ever was.'_

With those thoughts in mind, he walked up to the front door of the manor and reflexively took out the sonic screwdriver. He took one look at the device, and sighed in exasperation. He was becoming more and more like the Doctor by the moment, and that was the one thing that he didn't want to happen. He pocketed the screwdriver and took out his wand, casting the incantation, _Alohomora._

The door creaked open, and Barty stepped through it. As he took a look around, seeing the same old murky hallways and dust-ridden floor, he sensed a presence behind him. He turned around, unfazed, and he glared at the person facing him.

"So good to see you, Doctor. I've been expecting you", Son of Mine greeted him, a twisted smile upon his face.

Barty continued to stare at him impassively as he simply replied, "Get out." He made way to move past the alien, but was grabbed tightly around his elbow instead.

"Not one for manners, even in your human state, now are we, Time Lord?" Son of Mine pointed out, grasping his elbow even more tightly.

"I'm not the Doctor!" Barty shouted in defiance. He had had enough of this alien or whatever it was. Wand still in hand, Barty pointed it at Son of Mine. The alien had seen this out of the corner of his eye, and he twisted Barty's arm, throwing off his aim, sending sparks of red across the hall.

"Don't think that you can fool me this time! Your master has given me the task of disposing of you personally."

"You liar!" Barty managed to break loose of the grip that Son of Mine had on him, and he began to run up the stairs, sending a jet of green over his shoulder to divert the alien's attention. As he ran up, his heart began to pound. His master would never want him gone. He alone was Lord Voldemort's most faithful servant. He knew better, and he certainly wouldn't give in to all these lies that these crazed people were feeding him.

As he made his way up the creaking, old wooden steps, up to the upper landing, Barty didn't hesitate as he turned to send another jet of green at the alien chasing him. As Son of Mine dodged it, Barty attempted another spell. Before he could do so, however, Barty lost his footing as he reached the top of the landing, stumbling backwards and narrowly catching himself from falling. That was enough, though, to allow Son of Mine to grab a hold of the wizard again.

"Let go of me!" Barty demanded as he was pinned up against the wall, still astounded by the alien's strength to gain a hold of him.

"Not until you've given me what I want! Where is the watch?" Son of Mine demanded.

"Where is my master?" Barty asked bitterly.

"Answer me now!" Son of Mine shouted.

"You answer me now!" Barty told him. He was becoming more and more agitated by the second.

"If you wish to know, your master isn't here."

"That's rubbish. This is his manor. How did you find out about it? What have you done to him!?"

"Only what was necessary. I've become a valuable ally to those pathetic Death Eaters after informing your precious master of your treachery", Son of Mine stated, a twisted smile upon his face. "He wants you disposed of immediately."

Barty glared at him. "Lies! My master would never have that done to me! I alone was his most faithful servant!"

Son of Mine rolled his eyes. "You always turn into an idiot when you're a human, don't you? Newsflash, Time Lord, your master doesn't care about you. He never has. All he wants is the same thing that I want. Immortality. There is little difference between us, besides the fact that I am merciful compared to him."

He dropped Barty to the ground, and grabbed him roughly by the lapels of his trench coat as he crouched down to meet him eye to eye.

"I may give you some of that mercy and spare you. You have my word that I will. You'll never hear from me again...but only if you give me that watch." He went on as Barty stared at him with ambivalence. "Come now, we both know that you don't want to go, now do you? Imagine...dying like that...sacrificing yourself like that...and for what? All just to save a meaningless man? A man that has given you nothing but trouble, nothing but nightmares and horrors for years on end? Come now, Barty, you know that you want to live. We can both have what we want, only if you give me the watch."

Barty looked down for a few moments as he contemplated his words. He then looked back up at Son of Mine, staring at him. He flicked his tongue out as he spoke to him.

"Here. Take it."

He fished around in the pocket of his trench coat for a bit before pulling out a gleaming fob watch. He saw the alien's eyes shine with arrogance as he did so. As soon as he saw the watch, Son of Mine let go of Barty and snatched the watch out of his hands, ecstatic about what he had finally obtained.

As Barty scrambled back up to his feet, Son of Mine turned to him, the same twisted smirk plastered upon his face. "You fool! Do you realize what you have done? You have just given me the many lives of a Time Lord!"

Son of Mine cackled maniacally as he opened the watch and took a long, deep sniff. His demeanor suddenly changed as he angrily exclaimed, "It's empty!"

He scowled at Barty, who gave a twisted, bitter smile of his own. "Who's the idiot now?"

Son of Mine threw the plain old fob watch at Barty, who ducked and looked at the now shattered pieces of it upon the floor.

"Oh well, that's improvement. Always wanted to that, you know. My father was rather fond of that watch than he was of me."

He had cheeky grin upon his face as he spoke, and Son of Mine didn't like it one bit. The alien now stood up and began to approach Barty.

"You'll pay for that, you filthy Time Lord!"

As he lunged at him, Barty pulled out his wand and sent a jet of red spiraling at the alien. Son of Mine suddenly froze and fell to the ground, unmoving. Barty had an impassive expression upon his face as he crouched down next to him.

"Never call me Time Lord again, alright? If you don't mind, it's just the Doctor."

With that Barty stood back up and walked away from him. He then disapparated with a pop, never looking back.


	7. Chapter 7

As he landed back in the Forest of Dean again, Barty got up to his feet and pounded his hand on a nearby tree trunk. It was those words. Those eight little words that he had said.

_'If you don't mind, it's just the Doctor.'_

Those words were haunting him. Invading his mind. Making him go mad. He wouldn't have it. He wouldn't take being that alien. No, he would live. He would live and let the Doctor die and rot away in the fob watch forever. And there was only one way to make sure of that.

Barty began to walk through the forest. As he made his way to a nearby enclosure, he stared out over the lake. He made his way up to the edge of the lake, and stared down into the murky water below as he dug his hand into his trench coat pocket. From it, he pulled out a gleaming fob watch. He gave it a good long look before letting it dangle out from the palms of his hands.

"You've given me enough trouble for these past few days. Time to say goodbye, Spaceman."

He pulled his arm back in a throwing motion, ready to toss the watch into the lake, when a sudden whisper pierced through his ears. Barty recognized the voice of the whisper only too well. It was his voice, but at the same time, not his. He pulled his arm back down and looked at the watch again as it spoke to him in an eerie voice.

_'Don't do this. You'll regret it.'_

"Oh yeah? Who are you to tell me what to do and not?" Barty told the watch. "You've been nothing but trouble for me. A crazed alien thing is after me because of you, and my master believes that I've turned traitor to him. If anything, you deserve to be tossed away as rubbish."

_'Open me. Free me.'_

"Like I would ever do that? You've been here for a little over nine hundred years, and if you ask me, that's nine hundred years too long. Time's up, Doctor."

Barty pulled his arm back in a throwing motion once again, ready to throw the watch away and get rid of the Time Lord once and for all. Just as he was about to let go, however, a myriad of images suddenly swept through his mind. Images of him-no, not him-images of the Doctor and his many faces as well as his many companions. All the adventures and heartbreak that the alien had gone through appeared as clear as daylight in his mind.

"What are you doing!? Stop it!" Barty yelled at the watch, knowing that this doing of the Time Lord's was deliberate. He wouldn't give into the alien's pleas. He wouldn't have it.

Just as he thought that he couldn't take much more of the pressure, images of a burning planet suddenly appeared in Barty's mind. Barty knew this horrific image only too well. It was the war that had destroyed everything, the war that had burned down the planet of the Time Lords. The Last Great Time War.

Barty collapsed to his knees and put his hands to his ears as flashes of pain and war tore right through him. He couldn't take anymore of it. It was too much for him, and he knew that this was exactly what the Doctor had intended for.

"Stop it! Just stop it! I won't toss you away like a pile of old rubbish anymore, alright? Just please...stop having your memories flash through my mind like that!"

As soon as he had said those words, the images had faded away and out of his mind. As they did so, Barty uncovered his ears and stared at the fob watch in his hands with a deep loathing. He knew that the bloody Doctor had achieved what he had wanted.

"You do realize that this isn't over yet, don't you? I still have a few things to take care of before this is all said and done", Barty told the watch as he got up to his feet, soon disapparating with a pop.

* * *

><p>As he landed in front of the manor before him, Barty paid no heed as he walked past the gates and up to the front door. He didn't have to wait, as the door soon opened up.<p>

"Lucius", he greeted Lucius Malfoy in a simple, yet impassive tone.

"Bartemius", Lucius said, leveling his wand at his fellow Death Eater, nodding for him to come into the manor. "We've been expecting you to arrive here, more or less explaining your treachery to the Dark Lord."

"Oh, is that what your calling it?" Barty asked as he stepped inside, now being led down the hall by Malfoy. "Do you really believe that a faithful servant such as myself would actually betray my master? I expected more reason from you, Lucius. But perhaps you've lost all that reason due to your somewhat lack of competence."

"You seem to be of high confidence for someone who has infuriated the Dark Lord", Lucius commented.

"Infuriated? That seems like a strong word now doesn't it? I would say that I more of 'provoked' the Dark Lord to say the least. Besides, I'm not the one who slipped one of his prized possessions into a little girl's cauldron, having it to be later destroyed by Harry Potter himself. Killing three birds with one stone came right back around to bite you on the tail, now didn't it?" Barty rambled on. He soon stopped in his footsteps as Lucius Malfoy turned around and pointed his wand at his chest, malice evident in his eyes.

"You better watch your mouth, Crouch. Noone could've known that Potter would get his filthy little hands on the diary to begin with. Not even you", Lucius said, "Now, I would appreciate it if you'd show a little more respect when you're in my house."

"Oh respect? That's it, now isn't it. Show respect towards a pathetic waste of a Death Eater who-"

Barty was cut off as he suddenly found himself on the ground, sporting a broken nose. He looked back up at Lucius and glared.

"Like I said before, Crouch. You better watch that mouth of yours", Lucius said with a somewhat satisfied grin at having quieted the man. "Though, I would be more concerned about your nose right now if I were you."

Barty stood back up without another word as Lucius continued to lead him down the hall. After a few minutes, they came to a stop at a door to their right. Lucius opened it up and went in, Barty following suit. As he stepped inside the room, Barty noticed that it was unusually empty, save for a fireplace and a few chairs, including one big one that resembled a throne, which was occupied at the current moment. Barty slowly walked forward to face the occupant, the snake on the arm of the chair rising a bit and hissing lowly as it sensed him.

"Now, now, Nagini, young Bartemius here is not to be your dinner...as of yet", the pale white man with a slit-like nose told the snake. He looked at Barty for a moment before he went on. "For, I believe that he has a few things to share with his master. I most curious, though, of these claims of treachery. Is it true, Bartemius? Have you been keeping secrets from your master?"

"My lord, I can assure you that I am as faithful to you as ever. These claims of treachery are mere fabrications from a few Death Eaters who are simply envious-"

"_Lies!"_

Voldemort bored his scarlet red eyes into Barty's as he now stood up. Nagini slithered down from the arm rest and hissed at him.

"You have been keeping secrets, Bartemius. I have been informed, of course, by an outside source, which-"

"You actually believe that crazed boy!? How could you believe someone who's as non-human-"

Barty suddenly fell down, and shrieked in pain as he instantly felt a thousand white hot knives pierce through his body. Just as suddenly as it had come, though, the pain had lifted itself off of him.

"You dare interrupt Lord Voldemort as he speaks to you!?" Voldemort demanded to know.

Barty stayed quiet as his master went on.

"Though it seems strange to you that I would believe him, I had Wormtail check to see if it was true, and though Wormtail is of no worth, he did prove to be of some use. He had confirmed in seeing you and a young muggle girl talking about this little secret of yours", Voldemort told him. "Would you care to share this little secret with your fellow Death Eaters?"

Barty remained silent.

"No? I thought that you might say that, so I have brought a little surprise for you. Though it seems unusual not to use the Cruciatus Curse on you in this situation, I thought it better off in seeing you watch someone you love suffer."

The door suddenly opened up and Barty's eyes widened as he saw just what Voldemort had meant.

"Martha!" he called out to her, seeing her in the clutches of Wormtail. He tried to get up and get to her, but was stopped short as Lucius Malfoy grabbed his arms, holding him back.

"You will watch your precious friend suffer, unless you tell me where this watch of yours is", Voldemort stated. "And don't worry. We've already found out about the fake that you've given to your little friend here. She has suffered a great deal because of your little trick."

Barty turned to look at Martha, who shook her head.

"Don't worry about me, Barty. Whatever you do, don't tell him where the watch is", Martha told him.

Barty stared at Martha for a moment, his brown eyes boring deep into hers, before he said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

Martha couldn't believe what she was hearing as Lucius dropped Barty to the ground, and her now human friend put his hand inside his trench coat pocket and dug out a gleaming fob watch. The actual fob watch that contained the Doctor's Time Lord essence.

"Take it. I can't bear to hear that bloody alien complain to me any longer", Barty told Voldemort, getting up and handing the watch over.

Voldemort grinned maliciously as the fob watch dangled from the chain he held through his long white fingers. He opened up the watch and took a long, deep sniff, absorbing the essence within it-or, so he thought. As he looked down at the open watch, he grew furious. He grabbed Barty by the lapels of his trench coat and demanded to know, "Where is it? Where is the essence?"

He threw Barty to the ground. Barty, though, stood back up, unfazed, a crazed grin forming on his face. A grin of which could be only that of a mad man.

"You're looking right at it. Hello, I'm the Doctor."


	8. Chapter 8

Everyone turned to face the man in the trench coat standing before them, completely gobsmacked. As silence occupied the room for a few minutes, the Time Lord placed his arms behind his back as he began to pace around the room.

"I know. Shocker, isn't it? Everyone here demanding to know where the fob watch is, only to find out that what's contained within it is gone. Well, I say gone, but it's more like, 'currently in use' I guess. How I missed having two hearts", the Doctor said, sighing with pleasure.

"You know, it's funny. Little did I know that when I would use the fob watch to hide out from a member of the family again, I would end up here. Right in the wizarding universe of Harry Potter. A work by the TARDIS no doubt. Though, I must say, I did not expect to live a full human life while here, let alone become a wizard. Funny how slight miscalculations end up coming back to hurt you, isn't it?"

"No. This slight error didn't come back to hurt me. It haunted me. Being trapped within my own watch for over thirty years, watching my human self have control, and allowing my human self to go through all this. I didn't just become a human, I became a criminal. A Death Eater. A Death Eater that has allowed one of the most dangerous wizards in this universe to be revived. And I wish that I hadn't done that. I wish that I could've stopped my human self from doing that. I wish that I hadn't had a hand in your resurrection, Tom Riddle."

"You dare speak to your master in that manner, Bartemius? I had expected more out of my _faithful servant_", Voldemort said coldly. Then, without warning, he pulled out his wand and sent a jet of green straight at the Time Lord.

The Doctor stepped over to his left, dodging the spell. The jet of green struck the wall behind him, sending a few chips of wood flying out of it.

"You should work on your aim a bit more. Or rather, quit rambling on about how you're 'far more superior and powerful than any other wizard on the planet', instead of just killing your enemies or torturing them outright. I mean, have you ever met someone by the name of Gandalf the Grey? Now that's a great wizard. He defeated a Balrog once. Well, both of them were slain in Moria, but he did come back even more powerful than ever. Gandalf, not the Balrog. He was known as Gandalf the White from then on."

Everyone in the room stared at the Time Lord weirdly as he went on.

"Anyways...where was I? Ah, yes, quite right. I am no longer your faithful servant anymore by the way. Barty Crouch Junior is long gone, dead-still up here, though, in my head", the Doctor added as he tapped his head for emphasis. "I am the Doctor, and you are no longer my master anymore. I have no master."

The Doctor was now staring right at Voldemort, a serious expression clear upon his face. He bore his brown eyes right into Voldemort's scarlet ones as silence filled the room. It didn't last long, however, as the Dark Lord began to speak.

"It does not matter that you are no longer Bartemius. It also no longer matters that he has given himself up for a filthy alien creature such as yourself. Though he may have revived me in this new form, and is still present within you, I have no other choice, but to get rid of you both. One for treachery, and the other, for being a filthy alien. Oh, and don't worry, your little friend here will join the two of you as well. Goodbye, Doctor."

As Voldemort pointed his wand and incantated the Unforgivable Curse, _Avada Kedavra, _the Doctor merely rolled his eyes, and moved over to his right this time, dodging the spell once more.

"Didn't I warn you about talking first, killing later? And you wonder why Harry Potter always escapes you with his life intact", the Time Lord said, sarcasm dripping in his voice.

"I will not be spoken to in that manner, you filthy creature!"

As Voldemort sent another jet of green towards the Doctor, the Time Lord dove to the ground, escaping the spell by mere inches. He then pushed himself back up and ran over to where Martha was being held by Wormtail. Before he could reach her, however, Lucius Malfoy grabbed onto him, holding him back.

"You dare speak to my master in that manner? You shall pay for it dearly!"

As the Doctor fought to break free from the wizard's grasp, he pulled out the wand within his trench coat pocket, and aimed at the wizard restraining him. A spark of red was sent out, and Lucius Malfoy suddenly froze and collapsed in an instant, releasing his grip on the Time Lord as he did so.

_'So I can still perform magic, can I? Brilliant!' _The Doctor thought as he now sent a jet of red straight at Wormtail. The rat released Martha from his grasp as he froze and collapsed as well.

"Fools! You dare attempt to escape Lord Voldemort!?" the Dark Lord demanded to know, clearly agitated by the incompetence of his two Death Eaters.

As the Doctor went over to Martha to help her up, he stared at Voldemort, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. "We already have."

With that, the Doctor twisted his arm and disapparated with a pop, carrying Martha along with him.

* * *

><p>The Doctor and Martha both fell to the grating as their legs gave way as they landed within the TARDIS. The Doctor groaned as he got to his feet, holding out a hand and pulling Martha up with him.<p>

"Some adventure, huh?" he asked, a bitter smile upon his face.

"Yeah. Some adventure", Martha replied, still in disbelief at what had just happened back at Malfoy Manor.

As the Doctor strode over to the main console, Martha stared at him curiously. The Time Lord saw this, and turned to face his companion.

"What's the matter?" he asked, eyebrows scrunched up with worry.

"So...is it all over now? Just like that?" Martha inquired. "Are you the Doctor again?"

The Doctor nodded his head. "Yeah. I'm back, and it's all over now. No more Voldemort, no more Son of Mine, and no more Barty Crouch Junior."

"I already know what happened to Barty. He gave himself up for you and died as you took over again. Voldemort is already known to the both us. But what about Son of Mine? What happened to him?" Martha asked.

The Doctor stared at Martha for a moment, and a flicker of fury swept through his eyes as he spoke. "He's dead."

"Dead? You didn't-"

"No. It wasn't me. It was that idiotic human version of me who did it", the Doctor told her, not-withholding the anger in his voice. "He killed him right before opening up the fob watch."

"But, it wasn't a bad thing to do, though. Right? I mean, Son of Mine tried to kill him and you multiple times. Besides, remember what you did to the Family after you became John Smith?" Martha said.

"It doesn't matter. Everyone deserves a chance to live, and Barty took that chance away from him", the Doctor told her. "I can't believe that I had to become that horrid person of a Death Eater."

"He wasn't that bad a person, though. He sacrificed himself for you. He died for you. And he tried to keep me safe as well", Martha said, now walking up to the Doctor.

"He tried to get rid of me, though. Tried to throw me away as rubbish. And he tricked you. How can you defend him like that, Martha?" the Doctor inquired, looking downr."How can you defend a man who's killed, who's tortured, countless innocent people? Not to mention that he allowed you to be captured and tortured as well."

"I'm defending him only from what I've seen. I've been there all along, remember? Trying to find you. You know him better than I do, Doctor. You know what troubles he had gone through. Besides, he couldn't have done anything to save me. We were separated from each other. What you're feeling is guilt for what happened. You're guilty for becoming him, becoming a Death Eater, and for helping in the resurrection of Lord Voldemort. It wasn't your fault. You don't have to feel this way", Martha told him.

The Doctor looked up and stared at Martha. "I'm sorry that I had to put you through all this. Can you ever forgive me?"

"Only if you don't continue to mope around on what can't already be fixed", Martha broke into a small smile, and the Doctor shared it with her.

"Always the one to tell it to me straight, no sugarcoating it. You are one great companion, Martha Jones", the Doctor said, giving her a hug. As soon as he released from it, he went hopping around the TARDIS console, his energy suddenly returning to him.

"So where to now? Oh, I know which place you'll love. It's perfect for after an adventure like we just had", the Doctor said as he played around with the controls. The TARDIS soon landed with a thud.

"Where are we now?" Martha asked.

"Oh, you'll see", the Doctor said, grinning as he went over to the door. He opened it up for Martha and followed her out as she went through. His grin became even wider at Martha's reaction to where they had landed.

They had arrived at a field of rolling green grassy hills, but they weren't just hills. Each hill had a wooden door with a brass knocker upon it. As the Doctor led his companion down the path near a calm and peaceful forest, he turned to his companion, wearing a wild grin upon his face.

"Told you that you'd love it", he told her.

As they continued to walk down the path, Martha could see a small boy with dark curly hair running up from the hill to meet them. As the small boy came closer, Martha realized that it wasn't actually a small boy at all, but a small man. A small man that was well-known for his adventures from a certain book. As the Doctor went up to the hill to shake hands with the curly haired man, the man gave him a scrutinizing look.

"You're late for tea again, Doctor", he told him.

"A Time Lord is never late, Frodo Baggins. Nor is he early. He arrives precisely when he means to", the Doctor said with a cheeky smile, clearly pleased with quoting Gandalf.

"Nice try, Doctor. But Gandalf has already tried that one on me", Frodo said. Both he and the Time Lord then stared at one another for a good long minute, each raising an eyebrow. They both suddenly burst into a fit of laughter.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Doctor. It's been awhile", Frodo said, giving him a quick hug. "Last time I saw you, you had bigger ears than us Hobbits had hairy feet."

"Yeah, well, you know me. Always changing", the Doctor told him with a grin.

"And another companion. My, you work fast, Doctor", Frodo said, now looking over at Martha.

"Frodo, this is my friend, Martha Jones", the Doctor introduced them to one another.

"Pleased to meet you, Miss Jones", Frodo said, bowing to Martha, then turned to the Doctor. "Come then. Let's have a spot of tea now. Uncle Bilbo has been waiting quite awhile to see you after all, Doctor."

With that, the Time Lord and his companion followed the Hobbit to his home under the hill.


End file.
